Revolution

A nice story, thought Da

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DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

“They always go back across the border,” said Roma.

“They are cowards and head in that direction.”

“But if they took a police car and the other trucks, shouldn’t we look for them? They must be hiding in one of the barns we’ve passed, waiting for daybreak to launch another attack.”

“They will abandon them somewhere,” said the lieutenant.

“Why take something so obvious as a police car or an ambulance unless you’re going to use it?” asked Da

“We have only the mayor’s word that they took a police car. Sometimes they say things like that because they hope the government will give them new vehicles. That is what I think is happening here—it’s a small village; there may not even have been a police car, let alone an ambulance.”

Roma had left two of his men back near the village, and between them and the Flighthawk, it was unlikely that the guerrillas would be able to double back without being seen.

But the allocation of resources bothered Da

“The terrain goes up pretty sharply at the end of the field,” Zen reported. “I could see maybe a jeep getting in and through there, but not a car, let alone an ambulance.”

“How about a pickup truck?”

“Yeah, I guess if it’s four-wheel drive. But I don’t see anything up there on the infrared. It’d be pretty easy to spot.”

“You see tracks?”

“Those might be a little harder, but no, nothing obvious.”

“Keep looking, all right?”

“I’m on it.”

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While Roma’s men continued searching the area, the Romanian lieutenant checked in with his division headquarters.

The border guards had been alerted, and another company sent over to the hamlet that had been attacked. Five people had died in either the explosion or the subsequent fire; two others were missing. It wasn’t clear whether they had been taken hostage or were still somewhere in the smoldering ruins of the buildings.

When the search of the field failed to turn up anything, Lieutenant Roma called his men back and began a systematic search of the buildings they’d passed. The soldiers split into groups so they could cover each other as well as prevent an escape.

The first barn was quite a distance from its owner’s house, and Roma didn’t bother asking permission before inspecting it. After sealing off the driveway and posting lookouts on the other three sides, two men with submachine guns and a third with a grenade launcher took up positions opposite the large door, which was mounted on a track of wheels that allowed it to be pushed to the side to open. On the count of three, a pair of soldiers shot off the locks and hauled it aside, the ru

Except for some old farm equipment and a few bales of hay, the interior was empty. The house didn’t have a garage; after a precursory check of the owner’s small Fiat parked in back, the troops moved on.

The second barn was right next to a house, and because of the proximity, the lieutenant decided to alert the owner to the search. After his troops surrounded the place, the Romanian and Da

Da

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

wearing a bathrobe. For a moment she seemed confused.

Then she turned angry and began scolding the lieutenant.

Roma ignored her, signaling for his men to proceed. They shot off a lock in the nearby barn, hauled the door open, and began their search.

The woman shouted angrily. Roma turned his back on her, signaling for a squad to search inside the house. Enraged, she swung her fist at the back of his head.

Da

Two of Roma’s men who had run up to assist grabbed the woman and dragged her farther inside. They pushed her into an upholstered chair. One pointed his rifle at her face and barked something in fierce Romanian. The rest of the squad began searching the house.

Da

The whole house shook with the heavy footsteps of the men searching above. Da

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“Nothing,” said one of the soldiers to Da

He nodded. The soldier began questioning the woman in Romanian, but she clamped her mouth shut. As the other men came downstairs, Da

He’d stepped off the porch and was just about to contact Zen when he heard a scream and a crash inside the house.

The soldiers filed out quickly. Da

He was about to go help her but the expression on her face stopped him. She was afraid he was going to kill her, and he realized the kindest thing he could do was simply back away.

OUTSIDE, THE BARN AND NEARBY GROUNDS HAD BEEN

searched without anything being found. Da

Roma was already there, talking to his commander. More troops were being sent to help with the search.

“I think one of your men hit the old lady in the house,”

Da

“You saw what she was like,” said Roma. “Many of these people are like that.”

“Still—”

“You had to hit her yourself.”

“I grabbed her so she wouldn’t hit you.”

Roma turned and ordered his men into the trucks.

“Aren’t you going to do anything?” Da

The lieutenant didn’t answer.

Da

“Listen, Lieutenant. You can’t just let your men push around civilians.”

Roma looked down at his hand, then back at him.

“I’ll ask what happened,” Lieutenant Roma said.

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DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

“Good.”

Da

Yes, he had pushed the woman himself—but only to protect the lieutenant, who would have been hurt otherwise.